You probably don’t know the name Robert Putnam, but hopefully you know a little bit about his 2000 book, “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.” In the book, he outlined how America was transforming from a nation of joiners to a nation of loners. We go to church less, join fewer clubs and that has led to us losing trust in our fellow Americans and our institutions.

Putnam is back in the news. In the 25 years since his book was published, the academic and author found that instead of getting better, it is getting worse. A new documentary about Putnam and his work, called “Join or Die” was recently released.

Putnam has described the reduction in all the forms of in-person social intercourse upon which Americans used to found, educate, and enrich the fabric of their social lives. He argues that this undermines the active civic engagement which a strong democracy requires from its citizens.

Though I have not seen the documentary, the book remains an important read. I have heard a few interviews with Putnam in recent weeks and he says that membership and the number of volunteers continues to drop in many civic organizations such as religious groups, labor unions, parent–teacher associations, military veterans’ organizations, volunteers with Boy Scouts and the Red Cross, and fraternal organizations.

At the same time, everyone I speak with seems to be extraordinarily busy, though it is sometimes difficult to tell what exactly they are doing. It seems we are so busy doing nothing that we don’t have time to do anything else.

I’m just as guilty as anyone. I complain to family, friends and coworkers about my busy schedule, but other than work tasks, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where all my precious time is going. I find myself volunteering less and participating less, though I still feel busier than ever.

It is a professional problem as well as a personal one. When we lose a reader at officeinsight, I sometimes reach out to them to ask why. Almost always, the reason is they are too busy to take the time to read the magazine.

Participation is a problem throughout the industry. Fewer people are taking the time to attend trade fairs. Fewer are signing up for panel discussions (even virtual ones). There is so much information out there that many people are choosing to tune out completely rather than putting in the work to stay informed and educated.

All of this disengagement is causing serious problems in our country. When isolated, people start feeling lonely and hopeless. They can develop sleep problems and have low energy. Isolation can lead to health issues such as chronic inflammation, reduced immunity, poor cognitive function, higher risk for dementia, and difficulty performing everyday tasks. Isolation can also lead to higher levels of alcohol use and a poor diet.

That feeling of seconds slipping away has me rethinking how I use my time. I’m making a concerted effort to engage more, participate more and seriously examine how I am using my time. I’ve already eliminated some distractions and causes for my own disengagement. I deleted Facebook a few years ago and interact very little with social media.

At the same time, I’ve started a new habit to reconnect with friends who I’ve neglected over the years. When I think about them, I call or text them. It has led to some amazing conversations and has rekindled some friendships and family relationships that I’ve let fizzle out.

Putnam used bowling as an example to illustrate his theory. Although the number of people who bowled had increased in the last 20 years, the number of people who bowled in leagues had decreased. If people bowled alone, they did not participate in the social interaction and civic discussions that might occur in a league environment.

So I’m encouraging you to reengage. Examine how you are using your time, both personally and professionally. I think that like me, you will find a lot of moments wasted on things that don’t really matter — social media, emails, binging TikTok and YouTube videos. When you get that time back, you can invest it in what really matters.